When you are a child of the Most High God, you can and should live in expectation. To live in expectation means that you literally begin to expect, anticipate, await God’s ways and promises to be a reality in your life on the regular, because God said it to be so. You expect to be favored, you expect to live blessed, you expect to obtain the victory in every trial (no matter how rough it gets in the middle of it), you expect God’s promises to come to pass…
Whereas the world says, “no expectations, no disappointments,” as a follower of Jesus Christ, you can rest assured that when your expectation is in God, His Word, His promises, and His character, disappointment will NOT be your portion! The scripture that God brought to mind was Proverbs 23:18, which says, “For surely there is a hereafter, and your hope will not be cut off.” Basically, you will not be disappointed when your hope is in God. In fact, the Amplified version literally says, “Surely there is a future [and a reward], and your hope and expectation will not be cut off.”
So, step out there and put your expectation in God. Look above your circumstances, above the people around you, above what you see in the natural, and seek to see how God sees, and then begin to walk in expectation to see what He showed you by the Spirit come to pass in the natural. As you read the Bible, don’t just read it as a fairytale or an inspirational self-help book, but actually begin to apply it to your life and expect to see the fruit develop in your life. Expect to see the things that God promises to become a reality in your life!
It is the beginning of a new month. Take a moment to imagine what might happen if you decided to live in great expectation of God this month! The Bible already tells us that God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ever ask or think according to His power that works in us (Ephesians 3:20). So, set your expectations high and watch God meet and exceed them! Don’t let past disappointments keep you from putting out hope and expectation again, but this time, make sure your hope is in God and anchored in His Word. Know that when you put your hope and expectation in Him, your hope will not be cut off! Choose to believe that today!
Welcome to November, sis! I am challenging you to live in expectation this month (and beyond)! I am looking forward to all that God will do and I hope you are, too!
I love you bunches,
Have a healthy & wholesome week and an exceedingly blessed month!
P.S. Just to clarify… expectation and entitlement are two subtly different things. Entitlement says, “I should have this thing because I deserve it” or because “I want it” or because of whatever other reason. However, expectation says “I anticipate this thing (or great things overall), because it has already been established for me by my Heavenly Father.” Expectation rests on God’s goodness and His promises, whereas entitlement rests on our “goodness” and deservedness.
Freely live in expectation today 💞
Here's a song to go along with this month's declaration!
A little while ago, I heard someone say that the Holy Spirit told them that, “If it sounds too good, it’s probably not Me,” and man… that hasn’t sat right with me since! Typically, if someone says, “God told me…” I like to at least give them the benefit of the doubt… unless, of course, what they are saying is not biblical. And in this case, I’m sorry, but I must call a flag on the play, sis! 🚩The Bible tells and shows us over and over again that God is good and He has good things and good intentions for His children who are in right standing with Him. It is important that we are able to see God as our Abba Father, who loves and cares for us, and wants the best for us, and also, as God, who is sovereign, rules over the Kingdom, and has a will that He desires for us to follow. Being too far on either side of the spectrum can cause us to miss out on different aspects of God, reject knowledge of Him, and even at times, miss what He is doing at any given moment.
In this case, if you have a skewed view of God that says that, “if it’s too good to be true, it’s not God,” how will you be able to have faith for the big, wonderful things He desires to do in your life… not because of your goodness, but to put His goodness on display? To answer the rhetorical question for you, you won’t! Of course, God being good does not mean we won’t go through things, face challenges, and have to overcome, but we must remain grounded in the fact that God’s nature is good! He’s a big God and the things He desires to do in our lives will often seem “too good to be true,” especially when we “put our faith out for something far out,” as one of my mentors would say. Below, I’m gonna list a few scriptures to really anchor this point as well as a few times in the Bible where God did something that definitely seemed “too good to be true.” My prayer is that our eyes, minds, and hearts will more open to the spectrum of who God is, and that we receive and stand on the fact that God is a good God, in every aspect… and may our faith in Him increase that much more by knowing and believing that!
So, “if it sounds too good to be true,” it’s probably not if God is in it!
Love you bunches!
Have a healthy & wholesome week 🌸
Scriptures
I'm cheating this time and borrowing this site's list. They really drive home the point we discussed today!
It Seemed Too Good to Be True
First example that comes to mind is Elisha telling the Shunnamite woman that she would have a son. She basically told him, "Don't play with my emotions like that." It seemed too good to be true to her! (2 Kings 4:8-17)
Next, Abraham and Sarah having a baby at 100 and 90 years old! Need I say more? (Genesis 21)
Actually, I will say a little more... This was after God had told Abraham He would make a great nation out of Him through his descendants... Meanwhile, Abraham has not an heir in sight! Talk about "too good to be true." Imagine if Abraham had said, "nah, that sounds too good... That couldn't have been from God!"
All of Jesus' healing miracles, but to call out one, Jesus delivering the man's son who was possessed with a demon. He's the one who said, "I believe, but help my unbelief." (Mark 9:21-27)
So many more where this came from. I challenge you to brainstorm a few examples of your own.
“And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”
I Peter 4:8 NKJV
Y’all, sometimes we have to cover our sisters , even in their mess!
Kinda similar to what we talked about in this video, when you cross paths with someone, they may not yet know Jesus, or they may know Him, but may not have yet matured in character and love… but that doesn’t mean that they won’t anytime soon & even if they never do (God-forbid), we must be intentional and led by the Holy Spirit in how we deal with others. In this case, we’re specifically focusing on how to respond when others hurt, betray, or offend us. There is something gracious and compassionate about 'covering' others (ie. not exposing them) in their flaws & sins, even the super “ugly,” hurtful ones. I’m sure there are people that don’t want to hear this, but this also applies to those who have blatantly set themselves up as our ‘enemies!’
(Clearly God has us on a character-development wave lately, lol!)
Covering our sisters may look like…
Genuinely praying for someone’s growth, enlightenment, or even healing (because we know that hurt people really do hurt people) vs. hoping they “get what they deserve”
Choosing not to gossip about them or even to share the dirty details of how they’ve treated you…
Not in an unhealthy, “protect the family molester” kind of way 🙅🏾♀️
But rather, sharing only what is necessary for your healing and recovery from the situation without taking the opportunity to trash or bash them
& choosing to only share with a neutral, trustworthy party
When it’s really bad, the most you may be able to do is to choose to say nothing, even when you really have the “right” to say everything!
Here’s what I’ll have you to know though…
Many times, this is an act you do in integrity and love for God.
The other person may never know or acknowledge this act of kindness, and worse, they may continue to do and say ugly things, whether knowingly or in ignorance….
Continue to walk uprightly in love anyway.
Continue to be the bigger person.
There may be times when “covering” someone requires exposing the situation to necessary parties for their safety, for yours, or for both… or because it becomes necessary to follow the protocol outlined in the Bible for escalation to and through the body of Christ.
Check out Matthew 18:15-17 for more details
It probably (definitely 😬) won’t feel good and a part of your flesh will definitely die in the process
Can you say ‘pruning & refining’?
You may need to recover emotionally and/or mentally from the person’s words or actions
This doesn’t make you weak or unspiritual…
Taking the high road of love doesn’t mean that the offense, the slander, the attack, betrayal, etc. doesn’t hurt—we’re still human after all, and women at that!
However, taking the way of character and integrity keeps you in the safety and protection of God’s graces, and choosing not to take matters into our own hands gives way to wrath, allowing vengeance (or restoration) to truly be the Lord’s, whatever He may choose to do.
But don't stew in it or let it consume you (more guidance on that below).
When faced with a situation, such as slander, an offense, an attack, a betrayal, etc…
Seek the Lord for how you should respond, if at all, and do what He says.
As you await His instructions, choose to cover your sister — resist the urge to gossip, slander, or “cancel.”
If this is someone meant to be in your life going forward (and even sometimes if not), be willing to have a conversation to bring reconciliation and help you move forward.
Even in this conversation, covering them may look like addressing the hurt and relevant actions, but not necessarily going down the line of all of their flaws or everything they’ve ever done.
Address and seek healing from the wounds that may have been inflicted by their words or actions.
Intentionally forgive (even if you never get an apology).
Journal about it if needed.
Intentionally let go and move forward to a new beginning, whether it be with or without the other person.
Continue to move in honor and integrity with the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit.
Be led by the Spirit & not by the flesh
Let’s be real though…
The truth is, not everyone is actually our ‘sister’ (especially not in every season) — some people don’t truly have our best interest at heart and don’t share God’s intentions (yet). Nevertheless, as Kingdom Ambassadors, we must still operate in the ways outlined above, while also operating in wisdom in both the spiritual and natural realms.
“Pray for the person; bind the spirit(s) operating through them!”
Remember that in all things, the goal is to please and be approved by God, not man.
Let this truth direct your words and actions.
May you be found faithful 🙏🏾💞
Love you bunches!
P.S. This isn't just something I'm picking on y'all about, lol.
It's something I've actually had to learn in real time, so I'm right there with you!
We're becoming more Christ-like together 🤗